GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES BALTIMORE P-TECH SCHOOLS

Governor Larry Hogan, joined by State
Superintendent of Schools Karen Salmon and other dignitaries, last month
announced that Carver-Vocational Technical High School and Dunbar High School
have been chosen as sites for new Pathways in Technology Early College high
schools, more commonly known as P-TECH schools, in Baltimore City. Both sites
are scheduled to be open for the 2016-2017 school year.

Also on hand were Stanley Litow,
president of the IBM International Foundation; Baltimore City Schools Acting
CEO Tammy Turner; Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels; and
University of Maryland, Baltimore President Dr. Jay Perman.

"Our administration is committed
to thinking outside the box, and advocating for innovative solutions to ensure
that every single child has the opportunity to get a world-class education,
regardless of what neighborhood they happen to grow up in," said Governor
Hogan. "With the announcement of Maryland's first two P-TECH sites,
students in Baltimore City will have the chance to gain in-demand skills that
employers need for the 21st-century workforce, and employers here in Maryland
will gain a steady pipeline to skilled professionals."

The P-TECH education model,
co-developed by IBM, is an innovative, nationally recognized approach that
blends high school, college, and work experience into one educational program.
In six years or less, students graduate with a high school diploma and a two-year
associate degree in a STEM career field at no additional cost. These students
will also benefit from career experience and mentorship in the workplace and
will be first in line for skilled jobs upon graduation through partnerships
with private sector participants. Each P-TECH school works with industry
partners and a local community college to provide a curriculum that is
academically rigorous and economically relevant.

P-TECH Carver and P-TECH Dunbar are
set to open for the 2016-2017 school year through a collaboration with the
Baltimore City Public Schools, Baltimore City Community College, and industry
leaders. IBM will partner with P-TECH Carver (with a degree focus in
cybersecurity and information technology [IT]), while Johns Hopkins University,
Kaiser Permanente, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore will serve as the
industry partners for P-TECH Dunbar (with a degree focus in health IT). Both
sites were chosen by the Baltimore City school system, and each will receive
$100,000 in grant funding from the state.

"The P-TECH program embodies
the goal of Maryland education: to graduate students prepared for both
additional education and the job market," said Dr. Salmon. "Baltimore
P-TECH graduates will have cutting-edge opportunities in the 21st-century
workplace, or have the option to move on to a college or university. P-TECH
provides students with great choices."

In addition to P-TECH Carver and
P-TECH Dunbar, four P-TECH planning grants have been awarded to launch
additional schools in other parts of the state.

For more information about P-TECH
schools, please visit www.ptech.org. For more information on Maryland’s Career
and Technology Education programs, please visit www.mdcteprograms.org.

MARYLAND LEADS NATION IN ‘FARM TO SUMMER’

More Maryland school districts
purchase local foods for summer nutrition programs than any other state in the
nation, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and that’s
great news for local children.

The USDA’s recently released Farm to
School Census has placed a spotlight on Maryland’s success.Nationally, 22 percent of districts
participating in Farm to School purchase local foods for their summer
programs.Maryland is at the head of the
class, with 59 percent of participating school districts buying local food
during the summer.

Maryland summers produce rich
agricultural abundance and school districts take advantage of the fresh, local
offerings by serving them in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).The SFSP is a USDA program that combats
childhood hunger by reimbursing agencies for meals served to children during the
summer.

“Summer can be a difficult time for
children who rely on school meals.Without access to nutritious food, many of our students experience
hunger and the subsequent negative health and learning effects,” said Dr. Karen
Salmon, State Superintendent of Schools. “Incorporating local foods into the
summer nutrition programs not only supports Maryland agriculture, but also
enhances the healthfulness of the meals children receive.”

Maryland Agriculture Secretary Joe
Bartenfelder shared his appreciation for Maryland schools: "I commend the
school systems for buying Maryland-grown products throughout the school year,”
he said. “The Summer Food Service Program offers an additional opportunity for
schools and other providers to incorporate products grown by Maryland farmers
into summer meals. Children who otherwise may not have the opportunity to
experience biting into a fresh local juicy peach or eating a slice of local
watermelon can now have a chance if they participate in the Program."

In addition to offering local foods,
some SFSP agencies have begun serving summer meals at farmers’ markets across
the State.Anne Arundel County Public
Schools, for example, has partnered with the County Health Department and Shlagel
Farms to operate a pop-up market at one of their existing SFSP sites, Brooklyn
Park Middle School.

A Few Words from State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen B. Salmon

State Superintendent of SchoolsDr. Karen B. Salmon

Local
public school system superintendents serve as the backbone of public education
in our State.Maryland is fortunate to
have a wonderful set of leaders serving as superintendents, and it was my great
pleasure to join the Maryland State Board of Education last month in honoring
one of the best: Allegany County’s Dr. David Cox, recently named Maryland
Superintendent of the Year for 2016.

Dr. Cox
has served as Allegany County’s superintendent since 2009, having been
appointed to a second term in 2013.He’s
led the system through many changes, including the design, planning, and
construction of the new Allegany High School, which is set to open its doors in
2018.Throughout his tenure, he has
emphasized student achievement.Last
year, Allegany County’s graduation rate rose to a record 92 percent.

Dr. Cox
came to Maryland from Virginia, where he’d previously served as Superintendent
of the Culpeper County Public Schools and the Pulaski County Public
Schools.We’re pleased he made the move to
Maryland!

* * *

Summer
is well underway, but the learning doesn’t end.One terrific program offered to students for the past 49 years is the
Maryland Summer Centers Program for Gifted and Talented Students.The program provides summer educational opportunities for
Maryland’s gifted and talented students. The program, coordinated
through the Maryland State Department of Education, in partnership with public
and nonpublic agencies, provides Maryland’s diverse gifted and talented student
population with advanced, rigorous, experiential learning opportunities that
nurture these students’ talents and abilities within unique learning
environments.

This
year’s Summer Centers program began earlier this month and continues through
mid-August.Centers on the performing
arts, creative writing, engineering, space science, environmental science, and
world languages are scheduled.

* * *

Video Highlights

Art teachers, and educators across the state gather in summer sessions to renew their commitment; refresh their creativity. Here's one such session of the Maryland Artistry in Teaching Institute, from Hagerstown.